From: owner-runequest-rules@lists.ient.com (RuneQuest Rules Digest) To: runequest-rules-digest@lists.ient.com Subject: RuneQuest Rules Digest V4 #85 Reply-To: runequest-rules@lists.ient.com Sender: owner-runequest-rules@lists.ient.com Errors-To: owner-runequest-rules@lists.ient.com Precedence: bulk RuneQuest Rules Digest Saturday, July 7 2001 Volume 04 : Number 085 RuneQuest is a trademark of Hasbro/Avalon Hill Games. All Rights Reserved. TABLE OF CONTENTS [RQ-RULES] Where? Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha - The perfect setting Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha - The perfect setting Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha - The perfect setting [RQ-RULES] which spirits are the "cult spirits" of Jakaleel, according to RQ3 compatible publications? Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha - The perfect setting Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha - The perfect setting Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha - The perfect setting RULES OF THE ROAD 1. Do not include large sections of a message in your reply. Especially not to add "Yeah, I agree" or "No, I disagree." Or be excoriated. If someone writes something good and you want to say "good show" please do. But don't include the whole message you praise. 2. Use an appropriate Subject line. 3. Learn the art of paraphrasing: Don't just quote and comment on a point-by-point basis. 4. No anonymous posting, please. Don't say something unless you're ready to stand by it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 7 Jul 2001 12:59:03 +0100 From: "Tom Zunder" Subject: [RQ-RULES] Where? I played RQ for about 8 years before ever even thinking about running Glorantha. I ran my old D&D game with BRP and then RQ. I ran the Young Kingdoms using RQ. Then I ran a big bucket of Prax. Then I stopped playing. I am still not sure but my proposed HW game in Prax looks more and more to be my proposed RQ game in Prax.. - --- T H Zunder tom@zunder.freeserve.co.uk ICQ:1521799 *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 7 Jul 2001 10:53:58 EDT From: MurfNMurf@aol.com Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha - The perfect setting - --part1_60.10b58595.28787c86_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 7/7/01 3:46:02 AM Central Daylight Time, Ian contemplates a campaign with limited magic: > I am uncomfortable with the idea of prevalent magic in > such a game. I am tending more towards a Cthulhu like > magic system, where knowledge of one spell makes a > person one in a thousand. Well, seeing as how you'd previously run a Middle Earth/RQ game, I don't see where limited magic would really be much of a problem in your new Roman game, as Middle Earth always seemed to _me_ to be both highly magical, and at the same time extremely limited in the magic that's available to non-Wizardy-types (actual characters). Limiting character access to magic prettymuch takes them out of the loop, mechanics-wise, and goes a long way in making it more atmospheric and _much_ more magical. Of course, how you go about imposing these limits is the _real_ question. What happens when you start trimming spells from the list? A spell that got the axe _right off_ when I was working on my Celtic campaign was Multimissle. It had always struck me as just plain _obscene_, so it was snipped. What if you end up monkeying with, say, everyone's favorite, _Heal 6_ ; making it generally no longer available? I did this in my in Celtic campaign; having decided to leave something specifically within the realm of the Healer/Physician. That minor change wound up driving up both the maiming and death rate, but oh well, that's what having several characters is for :) Or you could let them have access to the same bunch of spells as always, but just _double_ the MP cost? That might work too :) -Ken- - --part1_60.10b58595.28787c86_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 7/7/01 3:46:02 AM Central Daylight Time, Ian contemplates
a campaign with limited magic:

I am uncomfortable with the idea of prevalent magic in
such a game. I am tending more towards a Cthulhu like
magic system, where knowledge of one spell makes a
person one in a thousand.


   Well, seeing as how you'd previously run a Middle Earth/RQ game, I don't
see where limited magic would really be much of a problem in your new Roman
game, as Middle Earth always seemed to _me_ to be both highly magical, and at
the same time extremely limited in the magic that's available to
non-Wizardy-types (actual characters).
  Limiting character access to magic prettymuch takes them out of the loop,
mechanics-wise, and goes a long way in making it more atmospheric and  _much_
more magical.
  Of course, how you go about imposing these limits is the _real_ question.
What happens when you start trimming spells from the list? A spell that got
the axe _right off_ when I was working on my Celtic campaign was Multimissle.
It had always struck me as just plain  _obscene_, so it was snipped.
  What if you end up monkeying with, say, everyone's favorite,  _Heal 6_ ;
making it generally no longer available? I did this in my in Celtic campaign;
having decided to leave something specifically within the realm of the
Healer/Physician. That minor change wound up driving up both the maiming and
death rate, but oh well, that's what having several characters is for :)
  Or you could let them have access to the same bunch of spells as always,
but just  _double_ the MP cost? That might work too :)
 
 -Ken- - --part1_60.10b58595.28787c86_boundary-- *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 7 Jul 2001 11:01:27 EDT From: MurfNMurf@aol.com Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha - The perfect setting - --part1_ff.8aa78e0.28787e47_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Oh, another different RQ game was an Old West campaign using RQ, with CoC's gun rules grafted on. It was a weird west, along the lines of something out of Jonah Hex. It had severely limited magic, I'll tell you. -Ken- - --part1_ff.8aa78e0.28787e47_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit  Oh, another different RQ game was an Old West campaign using RQ, with
CoC's gun rules grafted on. It was a weird west, along the lines of something
out of Jonah Hex. It had severely limited magic, I'll tell you.
 -Ken- - --part1_ff.8aa78e0.28787e47_boundary-- *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 7 Jul 2001 10:36:36 -0700 From: Brad Furst Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha - The perfect setting > I am researching a game involving the aftermath of >Zama, where Hannibal was beaten by overwhelming >Legionary numbers and Scipio, Rome's first non-moronic >general of the 2nd Punic Wars. > >I am uncomfortable with the idea of prevalent magic in >such a game. As referee, you can still make standard RQ magic rare. But is it really necessary to you? RQ magic is almost never Fireballs and Lightning Bolts and Sleep spells. Spirit/Battle magic is often the same effect as the adrenaline magic the players can watch at a sporting event (Befuddle, Demoralize, Fanatacism, Protection, increased chances to score a hit or increases to the result of the hit). Ancient people called it magic, modern folks explain it differently. It happens either way. Do you mean to impose contemporary germ theories in the campaign rather than being possessed by a spirit of disease? Brad Furst esoteric@teleport.com *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 7 Jul 2001 11:34:55 -0700 From: Brad Furst Subject: [RQ-RULES] which spirits are the "cult spirits" of Jakaleel, according to RQ3 compatible publications? >This list was setup for RQ rules discussion not glorantha. >Where a rule is used to simulate Glorantha then the rule can be discussed, >but general Glorantha chat is better on the glorantha digest or in a HW list. The player of a character which is an initiate of Jakaleel asked me >if i have the cult skill: Summon will that include madness >spirits, fear spirits, Lunes, and Shades...or do i gotta learn 4 different >stinking skills? I know that, in the RQ3 which applies to the fellow who asked me, the character's single Summon skill applies to each Summon spell when cast. The question remains, which spirits are the "cult spirits" of Jakaleel, according to RQ3 compatible publications? Peter Maranci: >Er...I can't help but wonder if this is the Hero Wars list now? Or a >Gloranthan list? > >Is there anyone subscribed who *really* hews to some sort of Received >Wisdom about Glorantha? I was under the impression that this was a >group of rugged individualists. :) > >I mean, I'm certainly interested in Glorantha as it relates to RQ2 & >3, but Hero Wars is nothing to do with RQ any more. > >No offense, but as a refugee from the GlorNazis I'm a leetle sensitive >about this sort of discussion. Brad Furst esoteric@teleport.com *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 7 Jul 2001 12:40:02 -0700 From: sneadj@mindspring.com Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha Dalfitch@aol.com wrote: > What types of worlds have you created out there for use with RuneQuest > when not using Glorantha? Where they medieval or ancient style > setting? Examples? I ask because I want to design a setting of my > own. Back when I lived in Madison Wisconsin the whole BRP system was our game-engine of choice. We used modified CoC rules to run a Space 1889 game (far better rules than the wretched Space 1889 ones). For actual RQ, a friend and I ran a year-long game set in a mythic version of medieval West Africa (around 1100 CE). The campaign was set in Timbuktu, with a fairly shady Arab sorcerer, his manticore bodyguard, and two locals: one native Ghanan minor noble, and a cynocephali (dog-headed person) from the deep jungles where the gold fields were. The game eventually took a rather pulpy turn and ended just after we had explored the lost valley of the dinosaurs. Great fun... - -John Snead sneadj@mindspring.com *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 7 Jul 2001 14:49:46 -0700 From: "Steve Perrin" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha - The perfect setting The author of the "The Thorn Birds", Something McCullogh, did a series of Roman novels set in the time of Marius and Sulla, which is slightly after the time period you are dealing with. However, the books come highly praised for authenticity and flavor, and you might get some ideas for Roman politics from them. Steve Perrin, who hasn't read the books, but my RQ co-author Steve Henderson has and highly recommends them - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Gordon" To: Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2001 1:39 AM Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha - The perfect setting > > I am researching a game involving the aftermath of > Zama, where Hannibal was beaten by overwhelming > Legionary numbers and Scipio, Rome's first non-moronic > general of the 2nd Punic Wars. > > I am uncomfortable with the idea of prevalent magic in > such a game. I am tending more towards a Cthulhu like > magic system, where knowledge of one spell makes a > person one in a thousand. > > Gods would be contacted in much the same way as you > would contact gnarlytoestep (the surfer with a 1000 > toes). > > However this would be my first campaign using RQ in a > non-Middle Earth gameworld. I think a game where the > idea is that the group is a secret band/brotherhood > with a grudge against Rome is one that I would like to > GM. The idea is one of machiavellian manipulation, > technical theft and black ops missions in 200BC. > > Getting to the point - If anyone has GM'd in this > period I would like to hear from you as I'm finding > research a little difficult and could do with some > pointers. > > Interestingly enough the period is fascinating.. Rome > has just acquired an empire with the confiscation of > the Carthaginian territories. Rome is about to go to > war with Macedon. The scions of the Diadochi > (Alexander's successors) scheme endlessly against each > other. I am thinking that I'd like the players to be > the founders of Nabatea, though the chronology doesn't > quite fit. However an impregnable desert fortress > should be in every ancient's game don't you think? > > PS: Anyone who loved Spartacus would like the game > that I have in mind. > > I apologise unreservedly for rambling. Must be my > celtic bloodline. > > Ian Gordon (Itinerant Scot) > > > > ____________________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Get your free @yahoo.co.uk address at http://mail.yahoo.co.uk > or your free @yahoo.ie address at http://mail.yahoo.ie > > *************************************************************************** > To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com > with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 00:29:49 +0100 (BST) From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Ian=20Gordon?= Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha - The perfect setting Thanks very, very much for the tip. When I go to Hong Kong I'll see if I can pick it up. Finding books in S. Korea (host of the nexrt major war) is really difficult. Anyway... Thanks again. Ian - --- Steve Perrin wrote: > The author of the "The Thorn Birds", Something McCullogh, did a series of Roman novels set in the time of Marius and Sulla, which is slightly after the time period you are dealing with. However, the books come highly praised for authenticity and flavor, and you might get some ideas for Roman politics from them. Steve Perrin, who hasn't read the books, but my RQ co-author Steve Henderson has and highly recommends them. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Gordon" To: Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2001 1:39 AM Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha - The perfect setting I am researching a game involving the aftermath of Zama, where Hannibal was beaten by overwhelming Legionary numbers and Scipio, Rome's first non-moronic general of the 2nd Punic Wars. I am uncomfortable with the idea of prevalent magic in such a game. I am tending more towards a Cthulhu like magic system, where knowledge of one spell makes a person one in a thousand. Gods would be contacted in much the same way as you would contact gnarlytoestep (the surfer with a 1000 toes). However this would be my first campaign using RQ in a non-Middle Earth gameworld. I think a game where the idea is that the group is a secret band/brotherhood with a grudge against Rome is one that I would like to GM. The idea is one of machiavellian manipulation, technical theft and black ops missions in 200BC. Getting to the point - If anyone has GM'd in this period I would like to hear from you as I'm finding research a little difficult and could do with some pointers. Interestingly enough the period is fascinating.. Rome has just acquired an empire with the confiscation of the Carthaginian territories. Rome is about to go to war with Macedon. The scions of the Diadochi (Alexander's successors) scheme endlessly against each other. I am thinking that I'd like the players to be the founders of Nabatea, though the chronology doesn't quite fit. However an impregnable desert fortress should be in every ancient's game don't you think? ____________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.co.uk address at http://mail.yahoo.co.uk or your free @yahoo.ie address at http://mail.yahoo.ie *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 00:52:37 +0100 (BST) From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Ian=20Gordon?= Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ Non-Glorantha - The perfect setting --- Brad Furst wrote: I am researching a game involving the aftermath of Zama, where Hannibal was beaten by overwhelming Legionary numbers and Scipio, Rome's first non-moronic general of the 2nd Punic Wars. I am uncomfortable with the idea of prevalent magic in such a game. As referee, you can still make standard RQ magic rare. But is it really necessary to you? RQ magic is almost never Fireballs and Lightning Bolts and Sleep spells. Spirit/Battle magic is often the same effect as the adrenaline magic the players can watch at a sporting event (Befuddle, Demoralize, Fanatacism, Protection, increased chances to score a hit or increases to the result of the hit). Ancient people called it magic, modern folks explain it differently. It happens either way. Do you mean to impose contemporary germ theories in the campaign rather than being possessed by a spirit of disease? Disease is germ based yes. I was gravitating more towards an ancient herbal wisdom. Truly wondrous healing is only available at locations, rather than in-the-field. There was a film called "she" I believe with Ursula Andress as an immortal queen in the desert that had miraculous effects tied to locations. I am gravitating towards the idea that magic would be held in items, rather than cast intrinsically. That magic cast intrinsically is extremely rare and never has a visible effect. Kind of available in the mountains from the man rumoured to be a hundred and fifty years old kind of thing. Or from the queen in the lost city in the desert. I was thinking more of vision magic, healing magic and forging magic, with much less battle magic... I'm still figuring out how I want to do it. I can see an arguement for really toned down shamans, with spirits being much less prevalent, kind of like Merlin saying our time is departing and magic is leaving.. What do you think? ____________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.co.uk address at http://mail.yahoo.co.uk or your free @yahoo.ie address at http://mail.yahoo.ie *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ End of RuneQuest Rules Digest V4 #85 ************************************ *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. RuneQuest is a Trademark of Hasbro/Avalon Hill Games. With the exception of previously copyrighted material, unless specified otherwise all text in this digest is copyright by the author or authors, with rights granted to copy for personal use, to excerpt in reviews and replies, and to archive unchanged for electronic retrieval.